Until I was a Sr in HS, we were tenant farmers/sharecroppers on the Bar-W-Bar ranch near Yorktown, TX. We needed a new entrance gate, so I built this in 1960 as a Sophomore FFA project since we were learning welding & blacksmithing that year. My dad & I hung the gate while our landlady was out of town, so it was a big surprise for her when she returned home. She was so thrilled with it that she gave me $25.00 for building it. That was a LOT of money for me at the time.
The property has changed ownership since then, but I'm happy to say that the gate is still in place and still looks pretty good even though the original red paint of the -W- has completely faded away. The cattle guard has been widened, so the post on the right side of the gate is now about 3' to the left of the original location. Even though part of the gate is obscured & the gate entrance is narrower than before, it's gratifying to see that it is still functional & in use after so many years.
The property has changed ownership since then, but I'm happy to say that the gate is still in place and still looks pretty good even though the original red paint of the -W- has completely faded away. The cattle guard has been widened, so the post on the right side of the gate is now about 3' to the left of the original location. Even though part of the gate is obscured & the gate entrance is narrower than before, it's gratifying to see that it is still functional & in use after so many years.
